I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9235 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study and submit to Congress 

a report on strategic ports, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2024 

Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mr. GIMENEZ, and Mr. AUCHINCLOSS) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study and 

submit to Congress a report on strategic ports, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strategic Ports Re5 porting Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STUDY AND REPORT ON 

2 STRATEGIC PORTS. 

3 (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense 

4 shall conduct a study of— 

5 (1) strategic ports; 

6 (2) the reasons such ports are of interest to the 

7 United States; 

8 (3) the activities and plans of the Government 

9 of the People’s Republic of China to expand its con10 trol over strategic ports outside of the People’s Re11 public of China; 

12 (4) the public and private actors, such as China 

13 Ocean Shipping Company, that are executing and 

14 supporting the activities and plans of the Govern15 ment of the People’s Republic of China to expand its 

16 control over strategic ports outside of the People’s 

17 Republic of China; 

18 (5) the activities and plans of the Government 

19 of the People’s Republic of China to expand its con20 trol over maritime logistics by promoting products, 

21 such as LOGINK, and setting industry standards 

22 outside the People’s Republic of China; 

23 (6) how the control by the Government of the 

24 People’s Republic of China over strategic ports out25 side of the People’s Republic of China could harm 

26 the national security or economic interests of the 


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1 United States and allies and partners of the United 

2 States; and 

3 (7) measures the United States Government 

4 could take to ensure open access and security for 

5 strategic ports. 

6 (b) CONDUCT OF STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense 

7 may enter into an arrangement with a federally funded 

8 research and development center under which the center 

9 shall conduct the study required under subsection (a). 

10 (c) REPORT.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

12 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec13 retary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate 

14 congressional committees a report on the findings of 

15 the study conducted under subsection (a). 

16 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para17 graph (1) shall include— 

18 (A) a detailed list of all known strategic 

19 ports operated, controlled, or owned, directly or 

20 indirectly, by the People’s Republic of China 

21 and an assessment of the national security and 

22 economic interests relevant to each such port; 

23 (B) a detailed list of all known strategic 

24 ports operated, controlled, or owned, directly or 

25 indirectly, by the United States and an assessVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:30 Aug 30, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9235.IH H9235

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1 ment of the national security and economic in2 terests relevant to each such port; 

3 (C) an assessment of vulnerabilities of— 

4 (i) ports operated, controlled, or 

5 owned, directly or indirectly, by the United 

6 States; and 

7 (ii) strategic ports; 

8 (D) an analysis of the activities and ac9 tions of the Government of the People’s Repub10 lic of China to gain control or ownership over 

11 strategic ports, including promoting products, 

12 such as LOGINK, and setting industry stand13 ards; 

14 (E) an assessment of how the Government 

15 of the People’s Republic of China plans to ex16 pand its control over strategic ports outside of 

17 the People’s Republic of China; 

18 (F) a suggested strategy, developed in con19 sultation with the heads of the relevant United 

20 States Government offices, that suggests 

21 courses of action to secure trusted investment 

22 and ownership of strategic ports and maritime 

23 infrastructure, to protect such ports and infra24 structure from the control of the Government of 

25 the People’s Republic of China, and to ensure 


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1 open access and security for such ports, that in2 cludes— 

3 (i) a list of relevant existing authori4 ties that can be used to carry out the 

5 strategy; 

6 (ii) a list of any additional authorities 

7 necessary to carry out the strategy; 

8 (iii) an assessment of products owned 

9 by the Government of the People’s Repub10 lic of China or an entity affiliated with 

11 such government that are used in connec12 tion with strategic ports or maritime infra13 structure; 

14 (iv) an assessment of costs to secure 

15 trusted investment and ownership of stra16 tegic ports and replace products owned by 

17 the Government of the People’s Republic of 

18 China or an entity affiliated with such gov19 ernment that are used in connection with 

20 such ports; and 

21 (v) a list of funding sources to secure 

22 trusted investment and ownership of stra23 tegic ports, which shall include— 

24 (I) an identification of private 

25 funding sources; and 


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1 (II) an identification of public 

2 funding sources, including loans, loan 

3 guarantees, and tax incentives; and 

4 (G) a suggested strategy for Federal agen5 cies to maintain an up-to-date list of strategic 

6 ports. 

7 (3) FORM OF REPORT.—The report required by 

8 paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified 

9 form, but may include a classified annex. 

10 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com12 mittees’’ means— 

13 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

14 and Transportation, the Committee on Armed 

15 Services, and the Select Committee on Intel16 ligence of the Senate; and 

17 (B) the Committee on Transportation and 

18 Infrastructure, the Committee on Energy and 

19 Commerce, the Committee on Armed Services, 

20 and the Permanent Select Committee on Intel21 ligence of the House of Representatives. 

22 (2) The term ‘‘relevant United States Govern23 ment offices’’ means— 

24 (A) the Unified Combatant Commands; 

25 (B) the Office of the Secretary of Defense; 


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1 (C) the United States International Devel2 opment Finance Corporation; 

3 (D) the Export-Import Bank of the United 

4 States; 

5 (E) the Office of the Director of National 

6 Intelligence; and 

7 (F) the Maritime Administration of the 

8 Department of Transportation. 

9 (3) The term ‘‘strategic port’’ means an inter10 national port or waterway that the heads of the rel11 evant United States Government offices determine is 

12 critical to the national security or economic pros13 perity of the United States. 

Æ 


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